Robert Brown, a spokesman for Save Braden Airpark, explained at the supervisors meeting Thursday that his group would like to purchase the airport from the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority.

However, the pilot group's plans call for leasing some additional township-owned acreage on the south side of the property to pave an additional 345 feet of runway.

Brown said the additional paving would bring the total runway length to 2,300 feet, a size more comfortable for many small aircraft pilots. He also asked whether zoning laws would prevent the group from repairing or rebuilding some of the old airplane hangars on the site.

The Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority is debating its options for selling Braden to raise funds for $16 million it owes in court fees.

The authority accepted bids last month from the pilot group, as well as from developer J.G. Petrucci Co. Its members said they will decide how to proceed by Oct. 31.

Brown would like to inform the authority's board of governors before their Sept. 23 meeting that his group's revitalization plans would likely have a favorable response from Forks supervisors.

Lozano said the size of the planes would not increase from what is currently landing at the airport. He said the additional tarmac is purely for safety reasons.

The current short runway often requires pilots to hit their brakes hard to stop in time, which dissuades some from landing there, according to Lozano.

"Let me be clear. This request does not include increasing the size of the aircraft that land there," Lozano said.

Lozano said the airport would also be used for concerts or other public events that would benefit non-pilots. He didn't like the perception that the airpark is merely for wealthy plane owners.

"We don't only want to run a safe, good airport." Lozano said. "We want to make it an asset to the community."

Without a formal proposal detailing specifics, supervisors were not able to vote on any lease or zoning issues but they informally told the pilots they liked their ideas.

"I don't think there is a board member here who does not want to keep it an airport," said supervisor chairman John O'Neil.

Supervisors plan to draft a letter for Brown to give to the LNAA stating the township's desire to keep it an airport. Township solicitor Wendy Nicolosi said they could write it in a way to ensure the township isn't locked into any decisions on the matter.

Lafayette College, which has an athletic complex next door to Braden, would have to agree to the paving regardless of what Forks officials decide.